US3911778A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Guitar construction
Assignee: OVATION INSTRUMENTS Inc
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Filing: 1974-11-08
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Granted: 1975-10-14
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Expires: 1994-11-08
Abstract
Abstract A guitar having a sound box defined by a one piece molded body of bowl shape, and a top board for enclosing the bowl. A neck is attached to the bowl and includes a die cast aluminum alloy defining the fret board and the front of the peg board. This casting is secured to an integrally molded neck block in the body and the weight of the neck is kept low by mounting a plastic back to the casting, the surface contour and texture of the plastic giving the neck a conventional wood grain appearance behind the fret board and peg board.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert L Martin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 22:41
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10D; G10D3/00; G10D3/22; G10D1/00; G10D1/04; G10D1/05; G10D1/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
In a guitar, the combination comprising a hollow sound box including an integrally molded one piece bowl-shaped body which has a relatively thin wall of subtantially uniform thickness and which also defines a thickened portion projecting inwardly of its inside surface to define an integrally molded neck block adjacent the upper boundary of said body, a neck for attachment to said neck block, said neck including an elongated neck frame member having a portion adjacent its lower end which cooperates with said neck block to define a mortise and tenon joint therebetween, said neck frame member having a portion adjacent its upper end which forms a peg board for receiving the posts to which the guitar strings are mounted, said neck frame member having an intermediate portion which is of generally T-shaped cross sectional configuration, and a low weight plastic back member carried by a rearwardly projecting rib defined by the stem of the T-shaped frame, said plastic back member being molded to have a generally convex external contour and the opposed longitudinally extending lateral edges of said back member being faired into the laterally opposed longitudinally extending side edges of the Tshaped neck frame member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
In a guitar, the combination comprising a hollow sound box including an integrally molded one piece bowl-shaped body which has a relatively thin wall of subtantially uniform thickness and which also defines a thickened portion projecting inwardly of its inside surface to define an integrally molded neck block adjacent the upper boundary of said body, a neck for attachment to said neck block, said neck including an elongated neck frame member having a portion adjacent its lower end which cooperates with said neck block to define a mortise and tenon joint therebetween, said neck frame member having a portion adjacent its upper end which forms a peg board for receiving the posts to which the guitar strings are mounted, said neck frame member having an intermediate portion which is of generally T-shaped cross sectional configuration, and a low weight plastic back member carried by a rearwardly projecting rib defined by the stem of the T-shaped frame, said plastic back member being molded to have a generally convex external contour and the opposed longitudinally extending lateral edges of said back member being faired into the laterally opposed longitudinally extending side edges of the Tshaped neck frame member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
103 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said neck frame member has a generally flat front face defining the fret board of the guitar, said front face having raised laterally extending ribs at spaced longitudinal locations defining the frets for the guitar, and said fret board defining portion including a lower end extending in front of the mortise and tenon joint, and said sound box including a top which covers the bowl-shaped body and which top has a portion extending between the bowl and the underside of said lower fret board defining end of said neck frame member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bowl-shaped body is integrally molded from a rigid plastic material, and wherein said neck frame member is integrally molded from a die cast metal material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
102 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bowl-shaped body is integrally molded from a rigid plastic material, and wherein said neck frame member is integrally molded from a die cast metal material, and said plastic back member comprises a low density expanded polyurethane foam material with said convex external contour having the appearance of the natural wood, and T-shaped neck frame being fabricated from an aluminum alloy and said front face thereof being anodized, said fret defining ribs being finished to provide a color contrast between the anodized face of the fret board and said frets.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said plastic filler material is molded directly to the back side of said T-shaped frame member, said rearwardly projecting rib of said T-shaped frame member having opposed laterally outwardly projecting flanges to provide a generally I-shaped cross section for said rib.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said rear side of said T-shaped frame member further includes longitudinally extending rearwardly projecting flanges spaced just inwardly of said laterally opposed side edges of said neck frame member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein said polyurethane foam filled portion of said neck includes a portion behind said aluminum alloy peg board to provide a massive wood appearance to the upper end of the neck without significantly adding to the overall weight of the guitar neck.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
87 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said rearwardly projecting rib of said T-shaped frame member extends downwardly to define said tenon at its lower end, said rib having a depth which is approximately one-third the lateral width of the fret board defining portion of said neck frame member except for that portion of said rib defining said tenon, which tenon defining portion of said rib has a depth which is approximately equal to the width of the fret board defining portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said polyurethane foam filled portion of said neck includes a heel portion above and behind said tenon defining portion of said rib, which heel portion hides said rib and covers said mortise and tenon joint.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
In a guitar the combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein said tenon defining rib portion has a lower face which mates with an inner face on the mortise defining portion of said neck block, and at least one screw extending upwardly through an opening in said neck block and threadably received in said tenon defining rib.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-13 | 1979-04-14 | 1979-10-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-13 | 1983-04-14 | 1983-10-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-13 | 1987-04-14 | 1987-10-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |